POPULATION STATISTICS AND IMMIGRATION
Australia's population growth in Australia in comprised predominantly (64%) through immigration.
To avoid a negative population growth Australia need to rely on accommodating people from overseas. This is an issue that affects us now and into the future. Australia has one of the highest population growths worldwide averaged at 1.9% between 2005-2009. The average globally is 1.2%.
The largest proponent of immigrants (186,500 people at 39% of all immigrants) is those entering on temporary and student visas, predominantly originating from China and India.
"The smallest proportion of immigrants were humanitarian visa holders have been closer to 12,000 people in previous years. The main countries of citizenship for Humanitarian visas were Burma (25%), followed by Iraq (18%) Afghanistan (12%) and Sudan (11%)."
(information sources from Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4102.0main+features10jun+2010)
Australia sees itself as a multi-cultural society, however, where have we seen multi-culturalism being successful in a small and large scale. There will always be conflicts, in race, gender, religion. How can we all get along? Through collective work, education, celebration, sharing in cultures?
ASYLUM SEEKERS
"In Australia, asylum seekers can be people who arrive in an authorised manner (e.g. with visitor or student visas), or people who arrive in an unauthorised manner, usually by boat. People arriving without authority are confined in detention centres until they are granted a visa to remain in Australia, or they leave the country." (ABS, 2012)
"In May 2010, there were just over 3,600 people were held in detention in mainland Australia and Christmas Island. Around 93% were people who had arrived unlawfully by boat, 2% arrived unlawfully by air and 4% were visa overstayers." (ABS, 2012)
While Australia's asylum applications have increased in recent years (6,000 in 2009) it is less than 2% of the total applications worldwide. To put things into perspective, "in 2009, the United States had 49,000 new claims for asylum, while France had 42,000 and Canada had 33,000."
(graph and information sourced from: Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4102.0main+features10jun+2010)
Yet 'boat people' are a no. 1 topic of concern for Australian politicians and the people 'unauthorised' to enter the country at treated as criminals and are locked away in detention centres. Boat people are a massively controversial issue, and i hope to approach this is the most sensitive way I can.
The government dept. website on this issue states:
"One of the major challenges facing the world today is protecting refugees who have been forced to leave their homes by armed conflict and human rights abuses.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there were 43.7 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2010, the highest number in 15 years. Of these, 27.5 million were internally displaced persons, 15.4 million were refugees and 837 500 asylum seekers." (Dept. of Immigration and Citizenship - Fact Sheet 60 – Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/60refugee.htm)
The breakup of visas granted per country are as follows, however this is constantly in flux, depending on countries that are in conflict: By 2025, it is impossible to predict the origin of asylum seekers. Currently:
| Countries | Number of visas granted |
|---|---|
| Iraq | 2151 |
| Burma | 1443 |
| Afghanistan | 1027 |
| Bhutan | 1001 |
| Congo (DRC) | 565 |
| Ethiopia | 381 |
| Sri Lanka | 289 |
| Iran | 271 |
| Sudan | 243 |
| Somalia | 190 |
A quote from the Dept. of Immigration Annual report 2010-11 is as follows: it highlights the challenges of applying a solid standpoint on the refugee issue, quite wishy washy really:
"The 2011–12 program year will present a sustained challenge for the department to determine expeditiously the refugee status of the substantial number of irregular maritime arrivals awaiting decision on their claims, as well as to consider the claims of those who have arrived by air.
The introduction of complementary protection legislation will require further investment in training and guidance. Quality assurance in decision-making will remain a priority. There will be a need for continued efforts to improve on and build the department’s understanding of conditions in asylum seeker source countries to ensure fair, robust and transparent use of country information in decision-making. Changing circumstances in the countries of origin of asylum seekers will require a sustained focus on collection and collation of up-to-date country information for decision-makers."
Dept. of Immigration - Immigration Detention Statistics Summary -31 July 2012 - updated monthly
(imge from http://www.immi.gov.au/managing-australias-borders/detention/_pdf/immigration-detention-statistics-20120731.pdf) click the link to follow more current statistics on assylum seekers.
What is disturbing about these statistics is the number of women and children seeking asylum when compared to men.
Does this mean that women and children are valued lower than men in their own country?
Does this mean that men are more at risk of persecution in their own country?
Does this mean women and children cannot afford to pay people smugglers as they cannot hold jobs in their country and men are not wanting to pay for their women?
We can only guess. It is fortunate however that a greater portion of children and women compared to the large amount of men are given visas, or do not remain in detention for long. Is this reverse sexism. Although I do believe that women in most cultures are not treated equally so this would put them out of harms way. Not to say that men are not in danger or deserve to be in detention.
image from: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/blogs/gengreens/both-sides-are-wrong-on-refugees-20110919-1khn4.html
ECONOMICS
"Private prison operator Serco holds the contract to run all of Australia’s refugee detention centres, which last year cost the government $1.06 billion. The company posted a $59 million profit."(http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51004)Apart from the obvious humanitarian values, could this be a viable option for Woodfordia to host refugees on their land, to help pay back the government for the land?
"Families that volunteer to host a refugee would receive a weekly stipend of between $130 and $300. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre coordinator Pamela Curr said it costs up to $850 a night to keep an asylum seeker in detention: “Community processing and $215 a week is more humane and more cost effective.”" (http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51004)
HEALTH RISKS
"A recent parliamentary inquiry into mandatory detention for asylum seekers, which has been Australia’s policy for 20 years, found that about 85% of asylum seekers held in detention had some form of mental illness, which grew worse the longer they were held." (http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51004)This reduces the capability of anyone seeking asylum to be introduced into normal work, living and socialising in Australia.
"Hotham Mission Asylum seeker Project state that 40% of refugees living in the community on bridging visas are homeless. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre says that asylum seekers are turned away from crisis and transitional housing because of lack of funding and because few refugees have an income or an “exit strategy”. Others must try their luck on a competitive rental market, with no rental history and often with no income."
There seems to be a clear link between detention and treatment in this country and the homelessness, joblessness that we see today. If we can reduce the number in detention and more in rehabilitation then we could have more valuable citizens.
ARCHITECTURAL POSSIBILITY
Could Woodfordia become a place for 'rehabilitation' of refugees or asylum seekers. They could contribute via their traditional building methods, agriculture, arts, music, culture, religion, to support each other in learning languages, social norms etc. Harnessing the multi-culturalism of refugees can contribute to the 'think farm' of our Woodfordia future goals. Woodford Folk Festival has always celebrated a diversity of cultures and it would be appropriate that different cultures could contribute to the festival throughout the year. They can work, eat, move, play, breathe together and be a showcase during the festival for multi-culturalsim in practice.... if managed successfully.
DWELLING
Refugees could work together to build housing prototypes in line with the woodford 500 year plan. Where they can live together. They can recycle waste from festivals such as the stack of pallets seen on site.See video below for an example of a temporary refugee home designed for Kosovo:
Dwelling is very personal and i don't think we can design a one off solution to suit many cultures, I think this could be an individual approach to each dwelling that can be exhibited around the site. Each built using traditional building methods or new ones discovered/ tested on site
'EATING' AS A RITUAL
How do we combine so many cultures so all can participate in the daily ritual of Woodford. Maybe the ritual of eating together would be a great anchor to bring all cultures together many times a day. The 'eating' place can be a collective place of ritual and worship for the multicultural community. Perhaps the kitchen and dining part of the site could become a monument to all the worlds cultures?
The image below is a church designed by architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. He designed twelve doors that symbolise the world's major religions, thus making a gesture toward tolerance and ecumenicism. Can we learn from this is creating a building that facilitates a multitude of religious rituals but then takes on its own ritual and personality as a Woodford lore?
(Church of St Barbara, Austria. Image from book: Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 2003)
(Church of St Barbara, Austria. Image from book: Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 2003)
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